DOJ Awards $75 Million for Active Shooter Training, to Combat Trafficking of Illegal Drugs, and Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness

October 14, 2023 - The Justice Department Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced on Friday that it has awarded nearly $75 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country. This funding is designed to not only assist with the Department’s crime reduction efforts, but also to provide much needed assistance to agencies looking to expand their law enforcement mental health and wellness services, combat the distribution and trafficking of illicit drugs, and receive active shooter training.

“Today’s announcement underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting our state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to keep our communities safe,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These grants build on our efforts to disrupt the trafficking of deadly drugs, expand access to the mental health and wellness services that police officers deserve, and fund other critical programs. The Justice Department will continue to do everything in our power to get law enforcement officers the resources and assistance needed to help keep them and their communities safe.”

“Every day, across the country, our state and local law enforcement partners are working tirelessly on the ground to protect our communities and preserve public safety,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Through the grants announced today, the Justice Department honors and supports our state and local partners with much-needed resources for community policing and critical training while increasing officer access to mental health and wellness services.”

“The COPS Office grants announced today will help ensure law enforcement agencies across the country have the resources and training they need to promote public safety and further develop police-community trust,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Our investment in the Collaborative Reform Initiative, in particular, will allow the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners to continue providing critical, voluntary technical assistance and support to agencies that request it.”

“COPS Office grants work to not only reduce crime and increase public safety,” said Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office. “But they also make sure that the work is done through the lens of community policing. I know that both officers and community residents will be well-served by these grants.”

Funding highlights include:

• Nearly $48 million to combat the distribution and trafficking of opioids and methamphetamine through the COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) program and the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP).
• Through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) program, over $9 million to law enforcement agencies and stakeholder organizations to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, and implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring mental health and wellness programs.
• Almost $11 million in active shooter training funding through the Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) program.
• Nearly $7.6 million in funding for the continuation of the Collaborative Reform Initiative, through which technical assistance providers offer expert services to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to support effective community policing.
• An award for $130,000 to support the efforts of the National Blue Alert Network, a voluntary nationwide system to give authorities an early warning of threats against law enforcement and to aid in the apprehension of suspects who have killed or seriously injured an officer or deputy.

Complete lists of award recipients under these programs, including funding amounts, can be found here.

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.